Three opposition journalists detained in Ivory Coast

New York, November 28, 2011--The administration of Ivory
Coast President Alassane Ouattara has detained without charge three journalists
from an opposition newspaper since Thursday, in violation of the country's own
press law and constitution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Public Prosecutor Simplice Kouadio ordered police to arrest Editor
César Etou, copy editor Didier Dépry and political desk chief Boga Sivori of
daily Notre Voie, a newspaper
favorable to former leader Laurent Gbagbo, in connection with stories critical
of the government that were published last week, according to news reports and local
journalists. The three have been held without formal charge in a police station
in the economic capital Abidjan beyond the 48-hour constitutional limit on
pretrial detention, and in contravention of Ivory Coast's 2004 press law, which
bans detentions of journalists for press matters.

"President Alassane Ouattara took office with the promise
to uphold democracy and the rule of law and break with Laurent Gbagbo's
intimidation tactics towards the press," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator
Mohamed Keita. "We call on the authorities to release immediately César Etou,
Didier Dépry and Boga Sivori and end persecution of the media, which have a
constitutional right to critically scrutinize the government."

Judicial authorities interrogated Etou and Sivori on
accusations of "offense to the head of state" over a November 21 story entitled "While
Ivorians are dying of hunger and diseases, Ouattara buys 40 Mercedes worth 1.46
billion CFA francs [US$2.07 million]," defense lawyer Serge Essouo told CPJ.
The article contrasted a November 17 report
by Paris-based African business newsletter Lettre
du Continent, about the government's alleged acquisition of 40 Mercedes
class E for members of the cabinet, with alleged shortcomings in
fundamental social services for ordinary Ivorians.

Judicial authorities accused Dépry of "undermining the
national economy," with a November 24 story which criticized
the government's dismissive reaction to an earlier Notre Voiereport
suggesting a currency devaluation was imminent, Essouo told CPJ.

Commenting on the arrests Sunday, Ouattara called the
allegations by Notre Voie
"unacceptable lies," and said justice should be allowed to run its course,
private daily Le Nouveau Réveilreported. "I
think that journalists, of course, can express their opinions, but one must
relay facts," he said.

"You know, I am for freedom of expression. Remember that it
was under my term as prime minister that press and radio stations were
liberalized," Ouattara said, according to the report.

However, the government has not held to account the pro-Ouattara Republican
Forces of the Ivory Coast (FRCI) fighters implicated in ransacking and occupying
for five-months pro-Gbagbo media outlets such as Notre Voie, CPJ research shows. And authorities have made no
arrests in two separate incidents involving FRCI fighters in which two radio journalists
have lost their lives: the May 8 murder of radio journalist Sylvain Gagnetau
Lago and the November 19 shooting death of Gilles Tutsi Murris Dabé.

In a press
statement, the pro-Gbagbo party Ivory Popular Front (FPI) condemned the
arrests.